Process and apparatus for forming side seams on container bodies



A ril 1927. v

p L. R. M CANN PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING. SIDE SEAMS ON CONTAJ INER BODIES Filed March 23, 1925 2 ShetS-Sheet 1 INVENTOR E iza/A4] (QM/M BY L WW I M 2? ATT NEY A ril 19, 1927.

PROCESS AND 1,625,269 L. R. MCCANN APPARATUS FOR FORMING SIDE SEAMS ON CQNTAINER BODIES Filed March 25, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR AT ORNEYS Patented Apr. 19, 1927.

NITED STATES steam PATENT orFicE.

LELAND R. MGGANN, OF HAWTHORNE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN CAN COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING SIDE SEAMS ON CONTAINER BODIES.

Application filed March 23, 1925. Serial No. 17,604.

My invention relates to the art of making containers, and more particularly to the formation of the side seam of a metallic can body.

In accordance with standard practice in making cans, the edges of the body blank are hooked and interengaged and thereafter bumped to close the seam, which is later soldered when a hermetically sealed can is desired. The bumping action is performed by a reciprocating hammer acting upon a blank positioned upon the mandrel or horn of a body making machine, The side seam should, manifestly, be uniform and even throughout to obtain a tight seal in the subsequent soldering thereof. It has been found, however, that imperfections sometimes occur in the seam, due to irregularities in the face of the bumping hammer, or nonalignment of the same, or, as is now thought, due to the trapping of air in the seam when the latter is bumped in the ordinary manner.

I have found that superior results may be obtained by a progressive bumping action, i. e., an action in which the force is divided into successively acting component parts. In this manner, the difficulties heretofore experienced, due to mechanical inequalities in the apparatus or the trapping of air in the seam, are overcome and an evenly pressed scam produced, which, after the subsequent application of solder thereto, is uniform from end to end and provides a tight hermetic seal.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings,

Figure 1 is a sectional view, taken longitudinally through a portion of the body mak ing machine and showing a bumping hammer, of suitable type for the practice of my invention Fig. 2 is a plan view of a portion of the forming mandrel and associated parts, including the guideways for the bumping hammerg Fig. 3 is an elevational and sectional view, showing a position of the bumping hammer at a later stage of the operation than that shown in Fig. 1; and

Figs. l and 5 are diagrammatic views of the mandrel and body blank thereon, showing respectively the relationship of the edges of the blank before and after the bumping operation.

On the drawings, illustrating the best manner in which I have thus far contemplated applying the principles of my invention, the reference character 11 indicates the bed plate of an ordinary body making machine, from which arises a frame part 12, through which a forming mandrel 13 extends, said mandrel being provided with reciprocating feed bars 1% provided with spring-pressed dogs 15 adapted to engage behind the body blanks 16 and advance the same intermittently along the mandrel. A bumping hammer 1? is mounted for reciprocation and rocking motion beneath said mandrel 13, the lower end of said hammer being secured upon a crank portion 18 of a drive shaft 19, having bearings in frame parts 21 extending downwardly from the bed plate 11, said shaft carrying at one end a belt pulley 22 adapted to be driven from any suitable source of power.

The upper end of said hammer is provided with pivot projections 23. which engage vertical slides 24 mounted for reciprocation 1n guide members 25, having side extensions 26 secured by bolts 27 to the frame part 12.

The blank arrives at the bumping station with the edges thereof hooked and interengaged, as shown in Fig. 4, and the mandrel is formed with a longitudinal recess 28 on the bottom thereof above the loose seam 29. Upon upward reciprocation of the hammer 17 which is of length slightly greater than the length of the can body, the end of said hammer shown at the right in Fig. 1 first comes into contact with the part of the seem at the right end of the blank, pressing the same upwardly into the recess 28. Further rotation of the shaft 19 causes said hammer to turn upon its pivot, causing the upper curved surface thereof to rock in clockwise direction, viewing Figs. Land 3, thus progressively pressing the seam against the mandrel with a straight line movement until the hammer reaches the position shown in Fig. 3, after which it descends, due to further rotation of the crank shaft 19, and the blank may be advanced along the m nd It will be un e to d. that he blanks are successively presented at a very rapid rate of speed and in timed relationship to the operation of the hammer. Jitter the seams are bumped, said blanks are, in or (llIlHI'y practice, directed into a soldering machine where the seam is completed by the ap ilication ot solder to the exterior thereof.

.lt thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be under- :tood from the foregoing ('lescription, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the torm, constri'ietion and arrz'ingg'cment ot' the parts. without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. or mrilicing all of its material advantages, the term hereinbelore described being merely a preferred embod ment thereof.

I claim:

I. The procesii ot' forming side seams on can bodies which consists in intcrengaging the edges oi' said bodies. Feeding the same along a. forming; mandrel. and. then bumpin, aid intcrengagei'l edges progressively trom end to end of the seam with a. reciprocating and rocking movement of the bumping means.

The procees ot tormiug side seams on can bodies which consists in interengaarng ihe edges of said bodies, feeding: the same ilongr a forming mandrel with the interengig-aged edges at the bottom aide oi the mandrel, and then bumping said interengaged edges upwardly and progressively from end to end of the seam with a reciprocating and rocking movement ol the h nni ing means.

3. The process of :lormingr side seamson can bodies which consists in interengaging the edges of said bodies, feeding the same along a forming mandrel, and then bumping said intcrengraged edges [)FOgI-BSSlYGlY from end to end. or the seam with a reciprocating and rocking movement of the bumping means, and at the same time forming the intereugaged parts to project inwardly into said bodies.

4;. In a can body making machine, the combination of a forming n'iandrel, means for arranging body blanks at a bumping station on. the mandrel with their edges hooked and interengaged in a loose side seam, a bumping hammer adapted to exert pressure upon said seam progressively endwise or. the blank. and means for operating. sa id hammer with a reciprocating and rocking action.

In a can body making machine, the combination ot a forming mandrel, means :lor arranging body blanks at .a. btin'lping station on the mandrel with their edges hooked and interengaged in a loot-2e side seam, a bumping hammer haying a curved striking surface and being adapted .to exert pressure upon said seam progressively endwise of the blank, and .ineans for operating said hannner with a reci iirocating and rocking action.

LELAND R. MGCANN. 

